The Lost Interview Tapes
by FallinForAGuy
Summary: A collection of transcripts of Dr. Flug Slys's capture and containment at [REDACTED].
1. Patient Evaluation

**The following is a transcript of a recorded interview between Dr. Cassidy Red and Dr. Flug Slys following his capture at [REDACTED]. Dr. Red was assigned to Dr. Flug by Director Cardigan. Dr. Red was instructed to evaluate Dr. Flug's mental state and determine procedure for his interrogation and rehabilitation if possible.**

 **Dr. Flug can been seen restrained to a wheelchair by his ankles and wrists upon his entrance. He wears a paper bag over his head and is slightly muffled in the footage.**

 **The bag was removed once by [REDACTED] operatives during his capture, which seemed to cause some kind of mental breakdown. Dr. Flug killed three men and injured six in a frenzied panic. After heavy sedation, Dr. Flug was strapped down and transported to [REDACTED] for evaluation. After many more outbursts once he regained consciousness, and one near fatal attack using his arm restraints, it was decided to replace his bag in the interest of staff safety and completing the mission of the Men Without Hats. Destroying the creature known as Black Hat.**

 **There is no known footage or image recovered from [REDACTED] of Dr. Flug's face. Dr. Red makes references to scars, implying that she has seen what he looks like.**

 **The tape begins with Dr. Red's introduction.**

"Patient evaluation number 1: Attending physician is Dr. Cassidy Red. Patient's name is Dr. Flug Slys. He is the head scientist of the Black Hat Organization and the creator of its products. Patient was brought to **[REDACTED]** in the hopes of rehabilitating him and gaining insight into the possible weaknesses of its leader, the infamous quote unquote 'Lord' Black Hat himself. Director Cardigan recommends a gentle approach, to start with. We'll see how playing nice goes."

 **Dr. Flug Slys is wheeled into the room by two guards. His posture suggests he is agitated. His fingers twitch constantly and he often pulls at his restraints. The two guards leave the room after depositing Dr. Flug.**

"Hello there. My name is Dr. Cassidy Red. You are Flug Slys, correct? I work with **[REDACTED]** and I've been assigned as your chief physician while you're in our care. Seeing as this is our first meeting, I'm here to give you a sort of check-up. See how you're doing and all that, and find out the best way for us to proceed. Do you have any questions before we begin?"

"Y-Yes. Why am I here?"

"Mr. Slys-"

"Dr. Flug. Please."

"Ah, my apologies. Dr. Flug, you are here because you have some vital information. We'd be very appreciative if you'd share it with us. Some of my superiors feel that we are owed it, seeing as we rescued you. I personally-"

"Rescued?"

"Yes. Rescued. Rescued you from Black Hat's clutches. Now as I was saying, I personally feel that you need time before you're well enough to tell us anything. I can only imagine what it must've been like living under Black Hat for all these years."

"No, no you can't. But-"

"AS I WAS SAYING, we freed you from Black Hat. You don't have to worry about that _thing_ ever again. We will keep you safe from him. I have been assigned to help you, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. Once we're sure you're well again, you might even be offered a new job."

"A new job?"

"Yes. We don't hold you accountable at all for what you did under Black Hat. We're sure you only did what you had to to survive. It's perfectly understandable. I'm confident that once it's all over, you'll be welcomed among us. We've seen what you're capable of. You could do some really good here."

"Um, where exactly is here?"

"I'm sorry Dr. Flug, I'm not at liberty to tell you that just yet."

*sigh* "That's fair."

"I'm glad you think so. I'm sorry, but we can't have you trying to escape or give out your location. It's counterproductive to your rehabilitation. So we must keep you in the dark about where you are. Do you understand?"

"Yes I do. You said your name was Dr. Cassidy Red, yes?"

"That's right."

"Do you prefer Dr. Cassidy or Dr. Red?"

"Dr. Red, please."

"Very well, Dr. Red, I feel like you either got some bad information or you were specifically instructed to lie to me."

"What?"

"I was not 'rescued' from Black Hat, I was _abducted_ from Black Hat. I was never forced into his employ, I went willingly. As for your generous offer of a new job after my 'rehabilitation', which seems a lot more like brainwashing to me given how you carry yourself, I'm afraid I can't accept."

 **Dr. Flug seems more relaxed and at ease at this point. He has stopped fidgeting in his chair and his hands are steady. Dr. Red takes a moment to determine how to proceed with the evaluation.**

"Dr. Flug, do you truly consider us your abductors?"

"My abductors, my kidnappers, you took me from my home. What else do you call someone who does that? Certainly not rescuers."

"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way."

"So you say."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I think you are quite experienced in your line of work. I think that while you didn't fully expect me to be so bold, you weren't unprepared for it. As a doctor, you must always be prepared for unforeseen complications. Whether you are the medical doctor, the psychiatrist, or the scientist. You're job was to evaluate my condition and mental state, yes? Go on, what have you gleamed thus far?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...You've got a strong ties to the Black Hat Organization, you must if you call it your home so casually. You've got a deep seated loyalty to Black Hat, as you didn't even consider our offer once. You did not say 'abducted from the Black Hat Organization', you said 'abducted from Black Hat', meaning you as well as he see yourself as one of his possessions."

"I'm his employee."

"Finally, you have a great attachment to your work and position, as demonstrated by your respect of my own even though we are on opposite sides and lecturing me on my own work and title. You take your place as head scientist very seriously."

"I didn't get all my doctorates just for fun, Dr. Red."

"How many doctorates do you hold?"

"More than everyone else in this building combined. I know that without even having a clue of how expansive this building is or how many people are employed here, or how many of those employees hold doctorates themselves."

"Perhaps you could give a few examples?"

"First was my doctorate in Robotics and Mechanical Engineering. Then I went on to my doctorate in advanced computer programming. Then I went on to Mammalian Biology to spice things up. Then Reptilian. Then Human Anatomy. I have licenses to practice various forms of surgery, but I believe they are all under different names. I have a doctorate in Aerodynamics and two in Genetic Studies. One with a focus on gene splicing and the other on genetic engineering. I hold masters degrees in thermonuclear fusion, astrophysics, and helioseismology. That's the study of the sun and its effects on our planet. I figured that might be an interesting thing to learn about, seeing as the sun affects all life on our planet. I got minors in psychology, philosophy, and botany. I also studied religion and mythology for a year, mainly to occupy my time. There are more, oh so many more, but those are what I remember off the top of my head."

"..."

"Dr. Red, could you release my wrists please? My face itches."

"Is it your scars that are feeling uncomfortable, Dr. Flug?"

 **There is visible change in Dr. Flug's demeanor. He becomes agitated again and his fingers clench involuntarily. He begins moving around in his chair as much as the wrist and ankle restraints with allow.**

"What's wrong Dr. Flug? I'm your doctor, there need be no secrets between us."

"My, um, my scars are a bit of a...sensitive topic. For me."

"Did Black Hat cause them?"

"What? Oh n-no! No! These were...long before I m-met Black Hat."

"May I ask how you two met?"

"Oh I crashed a plane into his house."

"And he didn't kill you for that?"

 **There is a minute long pause before Dr. Flug speaks again.**

"Now that was just a dumb question. I'm right here talking to you, Dr. Red. I couldn't very well do that if I was dead."

"...I apologize. That question was beneath the both of us."

"Apology accepted. Please continue."

"How did you meet Dementia?"

"She and a few other lunatics camped out on Black Hat's front lawn for a few days. I think they kept trying to perform a bunch of rituals and things to try and appease Black Hat. Or maybe they just wanted him to actually come out and talk to them rather than throw things at them from his window."

"How many were there?"

"I think there were about 12 or 13 at the beginning. All but one died after six days."

"And that survivor was Dementia?"

"Correct."

"How did the rest of them die?"

"I killed them."

"You killed them?"

"That's what I just said."

"Why did you kill them?"

"I needed test subjects. Let's just say I break a lot of eggs trying to make an omelette."

"What were you testing?"

"Classified."

"Well, if your end result was Dementia, can I assume it had been some sort of gene splicing to create a human-reptilian hybrid?"

"You may if you wish."

"Why don't we move on to the bear? Where did you find the bear?"

"Oh, 505? I created him."

"Using what?"

"Using my knowledge of genetics and the biology of grizzly bears coupled with botanical science. Really, I consider his existence a testament to my capabilities."

"Is the bear-"

"His name is 505."

"Odd choice for a name. How did you pick it?"

"Sorry, but it's an inside joke."

 **Dr. Flug is assumed to be smiling given his tone and posture.**

"You could tell me anyways."

"No, it just wouldn't be the same."

"Why wouldn't it be the same?"

"You just had to be there. There's no point in telling you when you aren't going to understand."

"May I ask you a few personal questions?"

"If it ends this evaluation quicker, sure."

"You said you joined Black Hat willingly. Why?"

"Because that's the truth. I joined of my own accord."

 **Dr. Red starts to become frustrated.**

"I mean, why did you choose to join Black Hat?"

"He made me an offer. I accepted. I've worked for him ever since."

"Was Dementia's situation similar? Or was she forced to work for him since becoming your experiment?"

"Yes and no. She did choose to join, but I question how capable she was of making that decision. Especially after I was done with her."

"Is she considered an employee like you?"

"Dementia is an asset and a service of our company. We rent her out sometimes. She makes great pest control. Perhaps you should order her from the catalogue sometime."

"Is 505 considered an employee?"

"I don't think so. I doubt Black Hat pays him. I suppose since he was created by me, an employee of the Black Hat Organization, he's technically as asset of the company as well. He makes a good housekeeper, so we at least save time and money on the upkeep of the mansion."

"Does Black Hat pay you and Dementia?"

"I am paid quite handsomely. I can't speak for Dementia though."

"I see. Dr. Flug, how would you describe your relationship with these three?"

"Black Hat is my lord and master. Dementia is my co-worker. 505 is my creation."

"Lord and master?"

"That is what it says on the contract."

"And you signed this contract of your own free will?"

"I did."

"You mentioned Black Hat made you an offer. What was it?"

"He offered to let me create the machines of war that will allow him to rule the world. How could I refuse?"

 **The tape is distorted beyond this point. Little can be deciphered visually or audibly, although the tape continues for several minutes before ending. It is speculated that this is not due to damage sustained in the destruction of [REDACTED], but rather someone intentionally omitting vital information to the mission of destroying Black Hat. Near the end of the recording Dr. Red can be heard speaking, but most of it is unintelligible. It is assumed that Dr. Flug Slys has been escorted out of the room and to his cell, as it is unlikely that Dr. Red would be discussing procedures with him present.**

 **Three sentences can be made out clearly. This transcript may be updated if more phrases can be made out**

"Awaiting orders on how to proceed with interrogation...Patient is possibly suffering from a sort of Stockholm Syndrome, though his precise feelings are unclear...The girl could provide some useful insight as well…"


	2. Patient Interview 1

**The following is a transcript of a recorded interview of Dr. Flug Slys of the Black Hat Organization by Dr. Cassidy Red of [REDACTED]. The objective was to see if rehabilitation was a feasible option for Dr. Flug, and if not how [REDACTED] might best go about interrogating him.**

 **Director Cardigan advised Dr. Red to question the patient about his relationship with his colleagues and any other persons he may have contact with outside his position as a villain's scientist i.e. friends or family if any exist.**

 **Dr. Flug is wheeled in by the same two guards as before who do not speak to either Dr. Flug or Dr. Red before leaving the room.**

"Hello again, Dr. Flug. Did you sleep well?"

"N-not really, no."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Is your bed uncomfortable?"

"No, that's not the issue. There's really nothing you could do that would make it easier for me to sleep."

"I wouldn't be so sure. Much like yourself, we too have done things some would say are impossible."

"Like making a decent plate of eggs? Breakfast was bland and tasteless."

"I...I'm sorry about that as well."

"Well, maybe it's me. Maybe I'm just used to 505's cooking by now."

"505 makes you breakfast?"

"Sometimes. He makes honey pancakes just about every morning. Occasionally I'll have some."

"Does Black Hat eat at all?"

"Not 505's pancakes he doesn't."

"Why not?"

"I think he said they were too sweet for him."

"So what does he eat?"

"How should I know? I'm his scientist, not his chef."

 **Dr. Red attempts to hide her frustration at Dr. Flug's sass. Given how he chuckles, she did not succeed.**

"Do you know if Black Hat actually needs to eat or not?"

"I do not. I've never really seen him eat anything beyond trying it, far as I can remember. So I suppose he _can_ eat, but I have no idea if he actually does need to."

"How many years have you worked under Black Hat, Dr. Flug?"

"Oh, I think it's been about...fifty years or so?"

"Fifty? You don't seem to be in so much as your forties."

"Thank you, it do try."

"Come on now, Dr. Flug. You can tell me anything. Like I said, there need be no secrets between us. How long have you really been in Black Hat's employ?"

"Ever since I crashed into his house, fell for his dapper demeanor, and sold my soul."

"You...sold your soul to him?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"And this was…"

"I told you, 50 years ago. Give or take a few. It's a bit hard to keep track of time when you spend so much time in the same space."

"Dr. Flug...how old are you?"

"Hmmm, I believe the last time I celebrated my birthday was when I turned 33. That was before working under Black Hat."

"So you claim that you are now roughly 83 years of age?"

"At least. And yet I feel as spry as a spring chicken. Call it a really good work benefit if you must."

"And you haven't celebrated your birthday in all these years? Ever since joining the Black Hat Organization?"

"Don't say that like Black Hat forced me not to celebrate my birthday or something. I doubt he would've cared in the slightest. The first couple years I was just so swamped I myself forgot it was my birthday. Just glanced at the calendar and saw that the day had passed. Whoops. And past a point I just stopped noticing at all. Just another day of the same old stuff."

"Alright then Dr. Flug, in your fifty years in Black Hat's employ, how would you describe your relationship with him?"

"He is my lord and master."

"Yes, you did mention that before. Can you explain exactly what the means?"

"Lord is the title he holds. I believe you have heard people referring to him by it, calling him Lord Black Hat. Call it a show of respect that I use it as well. As for being my master, well, the long and short of it is that I sold my soul. He owns it. Therefore he owns me. Making him my master."

"So, you do respect Black Hat?"

"I do."

"Do you fear him?"

"Of course."

"Even though you are his employee?"

"Especially because I am. I live under his roof."

"Do Dementia and 505 fear Black Hat as well?"

"505 does, for the most part. Dementia is more enamoured with Black Hat than anything else."

"For the most part? I would think such a cute thing would be terrified of a creature like Black Hat."

"Mmmm, I think what it is is that 505 tries to see the best in everyone. Even Black Hat. I can't tell you how many times I've had to console the poor thing."

"Why? What happened? What did Black Hat do to him?"

"Well, he muted him, for one. That was kind of a dark time in the household."

"505 was able to speak?"

"He was like a human child. He had the capacity, he just needed to be taught."

"Who taught him? Was it you?"

"Well duh. You really think Black Hat or Dementia have the patience to rear a childlike being?"

"Fair point. Please continue."

"Well, I suppose I felt rather paternal at the time. I taught him to say 'Papa'. And that would've been all well and good were it not for the fact that he seemed to think of Black Hat more as his Papa than me."

"He...He called Black Hat his Papa?"

 **Dr. Red visibly struggles not to laugh.**

"Yeah, yeah laugh it up Dr. Red. That was his first and last word. Black Hat, unfortunately, was not as amused with it as you are."

"I'm...I'm sorry. I'm very sorry Dr. Flug. I don't mean to laugh at you or your creation. Perhaps we'd better get back on track."

"Sure, sure. You were poking into my relationships within my employ. Shall we move onto Dementia?"

 **Dr. Red is a bit taken aback at Dr. Flug's bluntness. She takes a moment to recompose herself.**

"Yes, let's. You said Dementia was one of 12 or 13 members of a group who...camped out on Black Hat's lawn, was that it?"

"That's correct."

"Care to go into more detail?"

"Well, let's see, during the day they seemed fairly normal. Your standard rebellious teenagers with too much hair dye and clothing that looked like they lost a fight with Edward Scissorhands. Come night, they put on black robes and pulled out this little altar or effigy or something of Black Hat they had in the van. If I remember right, it was made out of popsicle sticks."

"So then, they were fanatics?"

"Kids playing at the occult. Kids way in over their heads."

"So what, they prayed to their little...Black Hat...thing?"

"Something like that. I think the goal was to get Black Hat to actually come out and speak to them, or at least just get him to come out and acknowledge them. As strange as it was having them there, he didn't really pay them much mind. Until they started getting impatient and starting knocking on the door nonstop. Then he started throwing things out at them. He never did scream or yell or even stick his head out of the window. I think he knew that what they wanted was his attention, and he refused to give it to them."

"So then, you were the one to deal with them?"

"Yes, and for the record, I tried to be civil, Dr. Red. I really did. I told them very politely that if they wanted to see to Black Hat, they had to set up an appointment in advance. And that they needed a legitimate reason for the meeting or he would just outright refuse to see them."

"And what would be a legitimate reason?"

"Consulting, becoming a supplier of the organization, applying to become a member, most people see him for the consultations."

"Why did they not do that if they were so desperate to see him?"

"Well, for one, they couldn't afford the consultation fee. Pretty sure they were all runaways, no money to their names. They had little to offer in terms of service, and really, all they seemed to want was to meet their idol. Let me tell you, Black Hat doesn't do fan meet-ups."

"So, how did it come to be that they became your guinea pigs?"

"Well, one guy, who seemed to be the leader of the bunch, said that they'd do _anything_ to be of some service to the Great Lord Black Hat, his words, not mine, and that actually gave me pause for a second."

"Oh?"

"Yes. I mean, you work for one of the most influential and renowned villains worldwide, you're bound to deal with a bunch of loons claiming they'll do _anything_ for just the chance to be useful to him. Join him, work for him, be with him, he gets way more fan-mail than you'd expect. Along with a decent mountain of hate-mail and downright disturbing art but that's besides the point. What these kids usually are looking for is just someone to validate them, and they got it in their heads that Black Hat is the one to do it. I guess because they feel like they want to rebel against everything they grew up with; heroics, old family values, morality, ethics, getting a job and becoming a productive member of society, they think that someone who stands for everything else is their best shot at being accepted for 'who they are' or some crap."

"You don't share the sentiment?"

"No Doctor, I most certainly do not."

"So, Dementia?"

"Right, right. Well, it just so happened that I had a deadline approaching and was in need of some test subjects. And they were becoming a bit of a nuisance, so I told the guy that I'd cut him and his little friends a deal. If they really were willing to do _anything_ to be of _some use_ to Black Hat, then I'd give them a shot at becoming a 'valued member' of the organization. Work under him, live in the mansion with him, same deal as I have basically."

"Do you mind telling me exactly what you told him?"

"Well, it don't remember word for word how it went, but the basic gist of it was this: They would participate in a little...clinical trial of mine. If they made it through, I would give all I had into molding them into something that would please Black Hat. A win-win, basically. I'd produce something pleasing to my boss, they'd get to please their Dark Lord or whatever, and everyone would be happy."

"Interesting. Could you go into a bit more detail about this 'clinical trial' you put them through?"

"Sorry, I'm not at liberty to discuss matters of my job such as that."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to brag about all I've done within those laboratory walls, but, well, Black Hat doesn't appreciate things like the how's and why's of the company getting out."

"Well, what can you tell me about it? Is there really nothing at all you can disclose?"

"Hmmm, I suppose I can tell you this much; it was a sort of...testing stage. Seeing who among them were worthy candidates for the actual experiment. I believe we lost a little over half of the group in that period alone."

"And the experiment itself?"

"I believe I said before that that was classified information."

"So you won't even tell me what the end goal of it was?"

"Oh sure, I can. The end goal was to create something that would please Black Hat. That's my goal for everything I create. It's what I get paid for."

"So then, did Dementia please Black Hat."

*sigh* "He liked the _idea_ of her. She was certainly ecstatic to be a part of my little experiment. She was so eager to see that she was the only one left, and the only one who was going to get to meet Black Hat. When all was said and done and I presented her to him, well, her personality was a bit...off putting."

"But overall he was pleased with the end result? With what you made of her?"

"I...wouldn't go that far. She has her uses, and I do believe Black Hat likes her worshipping the ground he walks on to _some_ extent, but I wouldn't say he was all that pleased. More just...satisfied, if even that."

"What would've pleased him?"

"I suppose if her personality was a tad more...reserved, or if she was mindless and obedient, maybe he'd do more than tolerate her."

"Does Black Hat more than tolerate _you_?"

 **Dr. Flug clenches his arm rests at this question. His demeanor visibly shifts and he begins to look away and fidget under Dr. Red's stare.**

"N-No, I...I don't believe that he does…"

 **Dr. Red visibly acknowledges the change in Dr. Flug's behavior. She can be seen pondering the implications it hold but the tape distorts before the session can continue from that point. The warped voiced of Dr. Red and Dr. Flug can be heard, but nothing can be discerned of the conversation until the footage restores itself. This happens roughly 10 minutes after the initial distortion.**

 **The audio returns to its standard quality 30 seconds before the video does, Dr. Flug is heard screaming before he comes back into focus. He seems immensely upset by whatever he and Dr. Red have been discussing. Dr. Red on the other hand seems quite calm.**

"I SAID I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS ANYMORE!"

"Dr. Flug, this is necessary to your rehabilitation to-"

"I DON'T WANT IT!"

"Dr. Flug-"

"SEND ME BACK!"

"Just a few more questions and you can go back to your cell."

"FINE! WHATEVER! WHAT DO YOU WANT?! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"Do you interact with anyone outside of the Black Hat Organization?"

"CLIENTS! CUSTOMERS! THAT'S IT! NO ONE ELSE!"

"Do you have any friends or-"

'HA! YOU THINK I HAVE TIME FOR BULLSHIT LIKE 'FRIENDS'!? HELL NO! NOW GO AWAY! SEND ME BACK! SEND ME BACK!"

 **Dr. Flug begins to physically pull at his arm and leg restraints. He is held down, but manages to rock the wheelchair back and forth.**

"Do you have any family?"

"NO! NO FAMILY! THERE IS NO ONE! NOW LET ME GO!"

 **Dr. Red calls for the guards, who walk in immediately and wheel out Dr. Flug. Dr. Flug continues struggling and his screams to be let go can be heard as he exits the room.**

 **Dr. Red sits for a moment with a pleased expression on her face. It is assumed that she found something valuable in the time that had been omitted from the record. Possibly something that gives some insight to Dr. Flug and the effect working under Black Hat has had on his psyche.**

 **The tape cuts to black before Dr. Red's closing observations can be recorded. It is assumed that this, much like the static and distortion present in all recovered tapes, was done intentionally by unconfirmed persons to omit valuable information regarding Black Hat.**


	3. Patient Interview 5

**The following is a transcript of a recorded interview of Dr. Flug Slys of the Black Hat Organization by Dr. Cassidy Red of [REDACTED]. The objective was to gain a better insight into Dr. Flug's past and see if it would be beneficial to begin medicating Dr. Flug in the interest of extracting information from him as efficiently as possible.**

 **There is a gap between this tape and the one before it. Interview tapes 2-4 have yet to be recovered. The only remaining data on them is short briefs stating the objectives of each individual tape. They are as follows:**

 **Patient Interview #2: The objective was to better understand Dr. Flug's reasons for willingly joining the Black Hat Organization.**

 **Patient Interview #3: The objective was to uncover Dr. Flug's true feelings towards the creature known as Black Hat, his apparent "Lord and Master".**

 **Patient Interview #4: The objective was to persuade Dr. Flug to speak.**

 **Dr. Red was against the idea of medicating the doctor, arguing that more information on him was necessary in order to fully understand the effects such chemicals would have on his psyche. She believed that carelessly flooding his system with [REDACTED] could cause more outbursts and violent behavior, which was counterproductive to [REDACTED]'s agenda. Dr. Red requested the topic of interviews be switched to Dr. Flug himself in order to gain an insight to his physical, mental, and medical history. This was opposed by Dr. Whitley Winters, who argued that it was not the doctor they needed to know about, but Black Hat. Dr. Winters went on to argue that any action they took should be in the interest of extracting information from the Dr. Flug as quickly as possible no matter the cost.**

 **Director Cardigan granted Dr. Red's request, on the condition that should she have nothing to report about Black Hat by the next meeting, she was to begin Dr. Flug on [REDACTED] without complaint.**

 **The tape begins with Dr. Red's introduction. She is alone, awaiting Dr. Flug's arrival in the same room as the first two tapes.**

"Dr. Cassidy Red, attending physician to Dr. Flug Slys. Rehabilitation so far doesn't seem feasible. If attempted, it's estimated that it would take a period of years for Dr. Flug to reach a point where he would help **[REDACTED]** of his own free will. Years that the world may not be able to wait. Rather than simply dope him up and hope the desired effect is achieved, I believe it would be best that we try traditional methods to their fullest before resorting to medication. As the patient has shown great reluctance to speak any further about his employment or...'Lord and Master'...I proposed we switch to speaking about he himself. More specifically, his life _before_ Black Hat. I believe this will give us a more accurate picture of who Dr. Flug is and how **[REDACTED]** might affect him. As **[REDACTED]** is still highly experimental, we need to know all we can about our subject beforehand."

 **Dr. Flug is wheeled in by two different guards than previously. He is silent and keeps his head down.**

"Good morning, Dr. Flug. Have you slept any easier?"

"..."

"I really didn't think you were being serious about selling your soul, not aging for years, or being able to function on 2-3 hours of sleep a night. But given our observations, I'm inclined to start believing you."

 **Dr. Flug's hands clench the armrests a bit tighter at the mention that he has been observed, but there is no other noticeable reaction from him.**

*sigh* "Dr. Flug, would you mind if we talked about something a bit different this session?"

"..."

"I'd like to know a bit more about you yourself, if that's alright."

 **Dr. Flug lifts his head up to face Dr. Red.**

"We've talked about your creations, we've talked about your employment, we've talked about your boss, but in all that time we really haven't talked all that much about _you_. Even when talking about how you met Black Hat, it seemed to be mostly about him rather than you yourself."

 **Dr. Flug lowers his head back down.**

"Come now, Doctor. What is it you're hiding?"

"..."

"Does it have to do with your scars?"

 **Dr. Flug's hands grip the armrests tight again.**

"You did mention that you had them before you met Black Hat. I believe that you already had them at the time of the plane crash as well. You don't have to talk about them right now, but I would like you to divulge a bit more about who you were before becoming the head scientist of the Black Hat Organization."

"..."

"I realize it's been fifty years, but you must remember what your life was like before working under Black Hat, right?"

"...Empty."

"What was that Doctor?"

 **Dr. Flug lifts his head up and recomposes himself.**

"Empty. That's what my life was before I became Black Hat's subordinate. Empty. No matter what I tried to fill my life with, there was never anything that truly made me feel _complete_."

"Not even all your doctorates?"

"Why do you think I got so many?" *sigh* "Let me tell you, Dr. Red. You could have all the intelligence, all the potential, all the drive and ambition possible for a human, but if it never gives you any satisfaction, what good is it? What good is it to strive for something you never achieve? When every accomplishment is only met with 'What's next?' Where do you go from there? What is there to fill the void in your being when you've already filled yourself to the brim?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Ha...it's stupid really."

"I won't judge you."

"Perhaps not to my face..." *chuckle* "I mentioned before that I have no family to speak of, correct?"

"You have. Although you've never said specifically why or how."

"Then let me say so now. I had a family at one point. I then left them, because they weren't enough for me."

"They weren't... _enough_ for you?"

"Yes, that sounds rather stuck-up, doesn't it? A lot of things I say tend to come off that way. Stuck-up, smug, proud. But that's not the case with me. I don't say that as if I was too good for them. It was just simply that; they weren't enough for me. They weren't enough to keep me in that house with them. I had this consuming hole in my metaphysical being that they did not fill. Being without them didn't make it any better, nor did it make it worse. I was, and am, the same with or without my family. With this being the case, I came to the conclusion that they were not necessities in my life and I've never found any reason to go back to them."

"You don't ever get homesick or anything?"

"No, home is a state of mind. Home can be anywhere. It wasn't with them. They were not enough. They didn't make me feel any more whole or complete than I did without them."

"What were they like? Your family?"

"They weren't abusive or anything. They were not the source of my scars. It was a decent enough household. My immediate family consisted of me and both of my parents. I vaguely remember a few aunts and uncles."

"But what were they _like_?"

*sigh* "Decent, well-meaning people. Brunettes. Obeyed the law and paid taxes and all that. Pitifully unremarkable. I suppose that's an awful way to speak about the people who raised you."

"How old were you, when you left?"

"Oh...seventeen. I left for college. Out of state. Completely lied about where I was attending. I changed my number and ignored every attempt they made to contact me."

"Did you change your name?"

"I did. Multiple times."

"Why multiple?"

"Boredom. And I wasn't interested in any huge notoriety or anything. Attention didn't fill the void within me either. My studies were my one escape from the terrible emptiness I felt."

"Oh?"

"Yes, they were the one thing in my life that made it feel like it was something worth living. They made me feel, for brief moments, content. That's why I became a scientist. So I could continually have that however fleeting feeling of finally being satisfied. But it, like any relationship I ever pursued, soon wasn't enough either."

"Really?"

"Really. It wasn't enough that I could invent machines, I had to know about genetics as well. It wasn't enough to master knowledge on mammals, I had to become an expert on reptiles. I had to know everything there was about the human body. Then I had get my hands dirty because just _knowing_ ceased to be enough. Then I had to perform heart surgery. Then brain surgery. Then transplants. Then treat bacterial infections. Then I had to fly planes. My hobby became my new career. My pursuit of knowledge became a hobby. Nothing was ever enough."

"You mentioned relationships, briefly. Could we talk about your personal life?"

"We could, but there isn't much to talk about."

"You never had any meaningful relationships?"

"None that I personally would classify as meaningful. There were a few long-term partners here and there, but in the end, they too were insufficient. It wasn't that I felt _nothing_ towards them, it was that they didn't make me feel _enough_."

"And this was something you dealt with...your whole life?"

"As far back as i can remember."

"And...joining Black Hat quelled this never ending quest of fulfillment?"

"Honestly, yes. Having a ceaseless workload that stretches on into eternity gives me peace of mind. Even if I'm living with an eldritch monstrosity from the circles of Hell even Dante would never venture through, it does fill that emptiness I live with otherwise. I said before that it was filled for a time with expanding my mastery and completing my work, yes? Well, now I get to do exactly that for the rest of time. Or, I did, until you fools stole me away."

"So, basically, you're a workaholic chasing your next deadline?"

"If you really need to put a label on me, sure. Let's go with that. All I care about is that I get to keep working and that I make my master happy."

"Why is his happiness a concern of yours?"

"He's happy, he keeps me employed, I get to continue doing what I love."

"Do you...feel it again, now? That emptiness?"

"Do I feel it now that I am separated from my work, you mean?"

 **Dr. Red hesitates before answering.**

"Yes."

"Hmmm, I suppose I do, in part. I miss the constant stream of work. I miss being occupied every waking minute. I even kind of miss Dementia setting me back hours and _Jefecito_ screaming at me for being late. I miss 505's cooking, you guys wouldn't know an omelette if it smacked you in the face. I suppose I do have a bit of a barren spot in my being now that I'm away from it all. But, it's nowhere near as bad as it was. I still do have one thing to distract me from the dull ache at my core."

"And what's that?"

"I imagine what Lord Black Hat will do to you once he comes and rescues me."

"You...you really think Black Hat is coming for you? To _save_ you?"

 **Dr. Flug laughs out loud. So suddenly that Dr. Red is physically taken aback by it.**

"Oh, I know what you're thinking! Black Hat is a being of pure evil! A monster that exists to commit atrocities! Something like that would _never_ bother itself to go after some lowly _human_! And for the most part, you'd be correct. Black Hat cares nothing for humans, he thinks of us on the same level you or I would think of a bed bug. Nothing more than an insignificant insect. But, you see, I'm not just some human. I'm Black Hat's head scientist. Sure, he _could_ always replace me, but you should think long and hard about how long I've worked under him. What I've endured. What I put myself through. What _he's_ put me through. Is he really going to go out in search of another lesser human to do his bidding when I'm still alive and kicking? Remember, he owns my soul. He owns _me_. No one else decides when I leave his employ except him."

 **Dr. Red is quiet for a moment before she responds.**

"So, even if you _did_ want to, you couldn't leave."

"All that, and _that's_ what you focus on?" *scoff* "You truly are an optimist, Doctor Cassidy Red."

"You don't seem to have any issue with the fact that you're owned, either."

"I agreed to it years ago. It's a little late for me to be bitter about it now."

"How do you know he hasn't already replaced you? Do you even know how long it is you've been here?"

"I don't, and I estimate it's been a little over a month." *sigh* "I'm so behind schedule. He's gonna be pissed."

"And yet you still want him to come for you? You still have hope that he will indeed come for you?"

"Ha, hope! Hope is a fragile thing. It's a thing only the weak rely on. Villains do not hope."

"What do villains do then, when they are helpless? When they've been captured and still dream that their boss will come for them?"

"We plan. Without end. No matter how long it takes, no matter how many attempts must be made, we don't give up. You must be resilient, if you're to be a villain. You can't let one defeat stop you from trying again. You don't need hope when you've got a well-thought out plan. And that is what keeps me from losing myself to the emptiness in this place. I plan."

"You plot, more like."

"Those words mean the exact same thing, Dr. Red. It's just the connotation that is different."

"And what is it you're plotting, or planning if you prefer, Dr. Flug?"

"You mean besides the obvious?"

 **Dr. Flug tilts his head, and is assumed to be smiling wickedly. He taps on the armrests with his right index finger evenly and calmly.**

"...There's no possible way for you to escape."

"That's just what the Jehovah's Witnesses said."

"What?!"

"Ha ha, I kid you Dr. Red. You should've seen the look on your face."

"..."

"So, I take it we're done here? Have you poked into my mind enough for one day?"

"...Yes. Guards!"

 **Two guards come in and calmly remove Dr. Flug from the room. He seems to be in good spirits and continues to tap his finger against the armrest.**

 **Dr. Red begins her closing statements in a tired voice.**

"Patient Interview of Dr. Flug Slys number Five end report, attending physician Dr. Cassidy Red. Subject seems to have a possible ongoing mental illness, which he describes as a constant feeling of emptiness that is only filled by his work. More specifically, his work at the Black Hat Organization. Subject disclosed that this condition is the motive behind his intensive and extensive array of doctorates and is possibly the reason he seems to thrive under what would normally be an extremely overloaded schedule that should not be feasible for a human. Subject also revealed that this condition has led to his isolation from others and a lack of intimate relationships in his life, both romantic and familial. Subject claims to have terminated all contact with his relatives when they failed to 'fill the void'. The same reasoning was given for termination of other relationships.

"I believe medication would be a poor choice for this subject. As **[REDACTED]** is known to have very adverse effects on subjects with a pre-existing chemical imbalance, I do believe the introduction of **[REDACTED]** into the subject's system would only further aggravate his condition and cause him to become violent where he otherwise would not. At the time of this recording, subject has only shown hostility when his face has been bare or when the topic seems to get too close to his relationship with Black Hat himself. As both of these can be done in a way the subject is not fully aware, medication is not a necessity for the interrogation.

As for what today's session has revealed about Black Hat, I believe my earlier hypothesis about why the subject was offered a job rather than killed on the spot stands firm. I believe that Black Hat-"

 **The tape briefly cuts to static, and no words can be discerned. It cuts back to the footage shortly.**

"Subject also seems to believe that his 'Master' as it were is going to rescue him, somehow. He also seems to be plotting his own escape. Perhaps he imagines he's to wait for some sort of signal from Black Hat. Subject still holds firm that he indeed sold his soul to and is in fact owned by Black Hat. Subject claims that because of this he is unable to leave Black Hat's employ of his own will, and therefore could not defect even if rehabilitation was attempted and successful. Rehabilitation is looking to be impossible as well as futile. Perhaps...perhaps it is time to consider _some_ of Dr. Winters methods."

* * *

Notes:

Fun Fact, this entire basis for this fanfic is the Patient Interview Tapes from Batman: Arkham Asylum. As a matter of fact, that's where I got the inspiration for Dr. Cassidy Red's name, from Dr. Sarah Cassidy from the Victor Zsasz tapes. Personality wise however, I see here as being closer to Dr. Penelope Young. Dr. Red had red hair tied back in a medium length ponytail. Dr. Whitley Winter's however gets his name from Winter and Whitley Schnee from RWBY, and he looks a lot like the both of them, having white hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. I'm telling you this because this is basically a purely dialogue based fanfic with small blips telling you if a character had a certain reaction. So i figured it's better if I just tell you here what these otherwise faceless characters look like. Since we all have our own version in our heads of what Flug's face looks like, and how exactly his face is scared up, I'm leaving that open to interpretation. He looks like whatever you want him to look like.


	4. Patient Interview 6

**The following is a transcript of a recorded interview of Dr. Flug Slys of the Black Hat Organization by Dr. Cassidy Red of [REDACTED]. The objective was to gain a better understanding of what is assumed to be an ongoing mental illness of Dr. Flug's, and to diagnose it if possible.**

 **Subject's description of being perpetually 'empty' piqued the interest of Director Cardigan. He granted one more session before starting Dr. Flug on [REDACTED] to explore Dr. Red's theory that it is not strictly the work that fulfills him.**

 **The tape begins with Dr. Red's introduction as she waits for Dr. Flug to be brought in.**

"Patient Interview number 6, patient Dr. Flug Slys. Attending physician Dr. Cassidy Red. In regards to the patients apparent condition, described as a constant feeling of 'emptiness', my research into coming up with a diagnosis has been...slow going. Patients claims of feeling nothing, or more accurately, 'not enough' towards others somewhat resembles sociopathy, or perhaps severe depression. Though not enough for me to sign off on even mild medication. Certainly not enough for me to agree with Dr. Winters suggestion of simply doping him up and seeing what happens. The patient claims to have been in constant contact with Black Hat for fifty years, unaging due to selling his soul to the creature. While seemingly going against logic, it does answer our other questions. Rather than our initial hypothesis that 'Dr. Flug' was an alias passed down as Black Hat's subordinates died or outlived their usefulness this last half-century, it may be true that it's simply been the same man all this time. It would explain why the appearance of Black Hat's head scientist has been so remarkably unchanged, and the quality of products has remained consistent. Going off of this, I do not believe it to be worth the risk of harming his mind with **[REDACTED]**. If the patient really has fifty years of observing and working under Black Hat in his head, we can't afford to lose a single thing with such experimental substances."

 **Dr. Flug is wheeled in, seeming to be in better spirits than in previous tapes. He speaks in an almost friendly tone and is far more relaxed and animated throughout the tape.**

"Good morning, Dr. Red! How have you been since I last saw you?"

"I've been rather well, thank you Dr. Flug. Yourself?"

"Oh...I'm adjusting. I haven't had this much free time in years. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it."

"Is that right?"

"Yes, I'm rediscovering a few old tricks I'd found back in my youth."

"Things to keep that emptiness at bay?"

"Yes, exactly!"

"Well, I'm glad. I was actually hoping we could talk about it some more."

"Oh yes, I suppose your superiors were very interested in that."

"You would be correct. If you don't mind, I'd hoped you'd be able to tell me a bit more about that. See if we couldn't diagnose it."

 **Dr. Flug shrugs.**

"Sure, why not? It's not as if I could pick the topic of conversation myself. Did you have any specific questions or did you just want to hear more details?"

"I would like to hear a bit more about the 'emptiness' you've described. I feel understand that would go a long way towards understanding you."

"Eh, sound reasoning. Very well. Let's see, how to explain it... have you ever been incredibly thirsty, but unable to quench your thirst? As if no matter how much you drink, it's never enough to fully saite you? Or perhaps hungry, to the point of starvation even, with nothing available to fill your stomach? No actual food, just snacks. Have you ever had such a strong desire for sustenance, and nothing to satisfy it?"

"...I can't say that I have."

"Well, lucky you." *chuckle* "Why don't you try and imagine it? C'mon, Dr. Red, this will be a fun little exercise. Try and imagine what it would feel like to be me for a day. Would it help if I kept with the food and drink metaphor?"

"I think it would, please continue."

"So, you wake up in the morning, and you find you are already quite famished. Your stomach aches, your mouth is dry, you're thirstier than you've ever been in your life, perhaps you even feel a bit dizzy from the pain. Tell me what you do first."

"Well, I suppose the first thing on my mind would be breakfast."

"Ah, of course! Your first thought is to satisfy your need! But I'm afraid that's not exactly what I asked you. What is it you _do_ first? Come on, you can't very well lay in bed forever dreaming about pancakes and scrambled eggs. Or whatever your breakfast of choice would be, I don't know, I'm just throwing it out there. What do you _do_ when you wake up in the morning?"

"Ok, so I get up-"

"Yes, and then what? Do you immediately rush to the kitchen to try and cobble something together, or do you try and go through your typical morning routine? Do people still have those? Or am I horribly old fashioned?"

"I would assume most people do, and I do have one. I'd like to think I would put off making breakfast in favor of my routine."

"Very good, how does that go? What's an average morning for you, Dr. Red?"

"Well, I get up, and I go to the bathroom. I brush and floss my teeth, and then I go back to my room to change."

"Ok, seems usual. But let's imagine what it would be like to do all that with this constant gnawing at the pit of your stomach. Say you go through your routine, but you just can't stop thinking about how hungry you are. Brushing your teeth certainly helps that morning breath, but what does it do for your thirst? Do you think you'd be tempted to drink just a little bit of tap water? Sure, the quality may be questionable, I don't know where you live, but water is water, isn't it? Would you drink the tap water?"

"...Perhaps. But that would only give me temporary alleviation, wouldn't it?"

"If it gave you any at all."

"But then, that might be enough to get me through the rest of my routine before breakfast."

"Sure, that's an idea. So, you drink the tap water, let's be nice and say it's quenched a _bit_ of your thirst. Not all, but a bit. But that still leaves you with your hunger, which is only getting more and more painful, to the point you can hardly think about anything else other than eating. What's next in your routine?"

"Changing out of my pajamas."

"Alright, you do that, though the pain makes it a bit difficult to move. And still, all you can think of is eating. Is there anything else standing between you and food?"

"No, though I usually put some coffee on first so that it'll be ready by the time I'm done cooking."

"Ah, a woman after my own heart! So, you go ahead and put the coffee on, you're downright starving at this point, what's quick and easy to make? What's something simple enough that you can just scarf it down before heading off to work? Oh, that's right, we completely forgot about that didn't we?"

"What?"

"We're going on the assumption that this is a work day, aren't we? Which means you only have a certain amount of time to go through your routine and eat before you must leave to go to work. But, with your extreme hunger, you've slowed down quite a lot. It's funny, you hardly even notice until you just casually glance at the clock, but you are _way_ behind your usual schedule. Your body's running on fumes, you have such little energy, and you're running late. You have to leave, maybe not right then, perhaps you could pour that coffee into a thermos real quick if you're lucky, but you don't have enough time to cook anything. So, what do you do?"

"...I could simply stop off somewhere and buy something for breakfast. Depending on my route, it's feasible that I could find somewhere and buy something to eat without getting too behind."

 **Dr. Flug nods.**

"I see, so your daily commute allows for small detours. That's nice. I work from home, so I have everything I need right in one place. Or rather, I did. So then, you get something to eat. I'm assuming your options are something along the lines of a bagel or muffin, so that's a lot of bread. Filling, but the taste leaves something to be desired. You may have enough in you to ignore your cravings and function somewhat normally. Hell, given how hungry I'm saying you are, you probably bought about three. You come in, clock in or whatever, about how much time passes until our sessions?"

"A few hours. I have meetings, my personal studies."

"How many? I can't make an accurate comparison to my emptiness and your hunger without so much as a rough estimate."

"Maybe...two or three."

"Ah. So after this, it's just about lunch time for you, isn't it?"

"I do have a habit of grabbing something small, yes."

"Well, that will change. Especially with the odd looks you'll be getting."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you really think you're acting normally under these circumstances? You've got a black hole in your stomach and your mouth is drying out at the speed of the sahara. Not to mention you forgot to brush your hair in the morning. And possibly you forgot to put on shoes, but let's be nice and say you managed to slip some on as you rushed out. I imagine you'd be constantly clutching at your stomach, groaning to yourself in pain, barely able to keep your eyes open, a good swift breeze may be enough to knock you over. It takes time before that infinite hole inside you becomes such a part of you that you're able to ignore it and just go about your day."

"How long did it take you, Dr. Flug?"

"Oh...I don't know. Haven't I said that I've just always been this way? I'm trying to make comparisons, but even I'm not sure if they're truly accurate because I have nothing to compare my experience to. I was apparently a very fussy baby, according to my mother. She said I cried all the time, for no apparent reason."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, but I suppose in all honesty that's not too unusual. Babies cry, what else do you expect them to do? They're babies. That changed, though. By my toddler years I was the ideal son."

"Is that a phrase your mother used?"

 **Dr. Flug looks off calmly as he speaks.**

"Yes. She said I was like her little doll, so calm and quiet. Not fussy at all, did as I was told, wasn't even a picky eater. I suppose that's something that carried on into childhood. Me, so well behaved, my nose stuck in books or toys. They had me in advanced programs as far back as kindergarten, you know."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. Looking back on it, I never felt strongly enough towards anything to make a fuss anymore. Putting up a fight just meant they would take away what little I had to fill myself with. They gave me things to do, I always liked keeping busy. The only thing I ever wanted was to have _even more._ More to do, more to read, more to learn, anything I could have to feel something for just a little while. They bragged about me, I bragged about myself. What else was there of me? What else was there _to_ me?"

"Did you ever tell your parents about your 'emptiness'?"

"Not exactly. By the time I was able to articulate my feelings that well, they'd stopped listening."

"How do you mean?"

 **Dr. Flug turns back to Dr. Red**

"Would you believe an eight year old if he told you he was depressed? Would you believe he so much as understood what it meant to be depressed? What do you think eight year olds have to be depressed about? They don't have jobs. They don't pay taxes. They just go to school and practice the piano and read books and play with their toys. And this was the 1940s, toymakers did not give one single fuck about the safety of the children. It was back in the days when they _tried_ to make toy guns look realistic."

 **Dr. Red chuckles.**

"Yes, I suppose things were quite different back then."

 **Dr. Flug balls his hands into fists and shakes them as much as the arm restraints allow him to.**

"This is going to sound horrible, even to me Dr. Red, but _in my day_ we got polio and we liked it! We had none of these fancy-schmancy _vaccines_ or _safety guidelines_. You could buy an actual bona fide woodburning kit for your kids, and no one saw a problem with it! Nowadays, you're lucky if you can get a good old Creepy Crawlies thingmaker to make actual wax monsters right at home. I had to _beg_ Black Hat to let me make one for 5.0.5. And I'm sure he only allowed it because of how dangerous the toy really was. Doubly so after he brought the wax figures to life. In hindsight, I have to wonder what exactly I _thought_ was going to happen."

 **Dr. Red laughs a bit harder**

"Was it anything like the movie Small Soldiers?"

"Oh, it was like Small Soldiers had finally been realized as the horror film it actually was. Which is what it is whenever we watch it at home, because Black Hat can't resist terrifying 5.0.5. by making all movies 4D."

"Don't you mean 3D?"

"No, it's 4D. We can't compare it to regular human 3D. It's also the reason I can never watch Evil Dead 2 again. Though Dementia enjoys it."

"So Black Hat brings the movie to life?"

"Ehhhhh, something like that. I know better than to ask about the specifics of his abilities. All I need to know is that if I don't want my books to laugh at me again, I should really get back to work. And hey, that's not too much to ask. I like my work. It's no problem."

"Dr. Flug...do you miss Black Hat?"

"I miss my job. Which happens to be working for Lord Black Hat. I don't particularly miss being yelled at and hit for no other reason than convinience, but I do miss the security I had when I _thought_ no one would be stupid enough to mess with Black Hat's head scientist. I'm going to have to redesign the entire security system line from scratch just to be able to sleep again. It's going to be quite a headache, you know. So many villains secure their lairs with our products. If even one of our locations can be breached...that's not good for business. And do you know who will be blamed?"

"You?"

"Naturally."

"Then, do you think Black Hat would even take you back?"

"I'm willing to believe I haven't outlived my usefulness just yet."

"Why?"

"I'm not currently dead. I sold my soul to Lord Black Hat, and in exchange for my servitude I've been preserved as I was the day I signed the contract. If Black Hat no longer has any need for me, why wouldn't he just let me die? If I'm not worth keeping around, why keep me on this plane of existence, alive and kicking? You once asked me if I thought Black Hat was coming for me, and you know, I really don't. I don't think he'd do that. If he wanted me dead, I'm sure he could do it from anywhere in the world. If he wanted me back, he'd know he doesn't need to do anything. Where else do I have to go? What else do I have to do? Where else in the whole wide multiverse do I have to be other than at his feet? Where else would I find purpose? I'd been a wandering soul before I met him, going from profession to hobby to bedmate to assumed identity after assumed identity, and I don't have any desire to go back to that."

"Yes, you did mentioned you'd changed your name multiple times. I believe you said notoriety and attention didn't satisfy you, was that right?"

"That's correct. I of course love to be recognized for my work, but when it's just people doing it...it feels rather shallow after a while. Watered down, you could say."

"It doesn't compare to some unholy entity of evil complimenting you?"

"Oh please, Black Hat has _never_ complimented me. At least, not without making it a backhanded compliment."

"I see."

"In that he will literally slap me with the back of his hand if he feels I'm too happy."

"And yet you wish to return."

"A small price to pay for actually being able to feel something."

"It's really worth it to you? There was nothing else that would've made you feel content?"

"If anyone on your side had been able to offer me anything similar to my current contract, I'd probably have taken it. I'm not doing this specifically out of any sort of malice, this line of work just happens to fulfill a very special need of mine. And, as I _am_ under contract, I'm not at liberty to look for an alternative. Sorry."

"There was no other work that did for you what working for Black Hat does?"

"Nope. Nothing else has ever agreed with me this well for this long. I may be able to explain it to you, Dr. Red. It's like earlier, with our food and drink comparison. You walk through life, a shambling husk of a person putting on a happy face so that your day doesn't drag on any longer than it has to, and then you find it. Whatever it is, you take that last bite, that last sip, and there it is. You're finally full. And you find yourself coming back again and again, because there's just nothing out there that satisfies you like this. Nothing else makes you _feel_ like this. Perhaps it fulfills you for a time, and you find yourself somewhat content, but as it goes on it gets less and less...filling. Like building a tolerance to medication. It works, at first. But then it starts to dwindle, and you find yourself having to take more and more to get your desired effect. Eventually you switch to something even stronger, you have no choice but to do so, and the cycle repeats again."

"Have you ever taken medication to deal with your feelings of 'emptiness'?"

"I did try antidepressants and even got myself tested for any chemical imbalances. By all accounts at the time, my brain is perfectly normal. Have your tests shown anything strange?"

"No, which is troubling."

"You're telling me, it's _my_ brain. That's all I have going for me."

"Is Black Hat aware of your 'emptiness'?"

"Probably."

"Probably?"

"I've known him for fifty years, that's a long time! I don't remember _every_ conversation we've had! And it's not like we just casually _talk_ about things. I mean I've _probably_ told him about it, I don't think I have recently. I may have mentioned it when I first started working for him. Regardless, he's probably forgotten because the chances of him _actually caring_ are slim to none."

"You don't think he'd care enough to remember why you stick around?"

"I stick around because I'm under contract. I'm not allowed to leave."

"Then why are you here?"

"Well, going off of our first conversation, I'm here because I have valuable information regarding Lord Black Hat that you and your superiors want. I assume you want to kill him or something, which is both futile and generally accepted in my circle as being a bad idea. And I don't just say that because I'd be out of a job."

"Then why do you say that, Dr. Flug? What possible reasoning could you give to justify why that abomination should be allowed to exist?"

"Simple really, you would be throwing the entirety of villainy into chaos. Think about this Dr. Red, what is Black Hat? Not as in 'what sort of life form is he' or 'what do we categorize him as', what is he in society? He's the top of the food chain, the best villain in recorded history, the ultimate evil. Now imagine he was gone. What do you think would happen?"

"I think there would be considerably less evil in the world."

"Ironically, you'd see a lot more than you ever have in your life."

"And why would that be the case?"

"Because humans will be humans regardless of whether or not Black Hat exists. They'll still be every bit as petty, every bit as hungry for power and status, every bit as awful and depraved as they were before Black Hat if there ever was such a time. And if Black Hat _were_ to suddenly vanish from the established hierarchy, the first thing that would happen would be a fight to the death to claim his spot. Worse than any war, absolute anarchy across dimensions. It's funny, really. If Black Hat ever wanted to _truly_ plunge the world into chaos, all he'd have to do is die. We'd take care of the rest."

 **Dr. Red pauses as she considers his words.**

"You're wrong. We're better than that."

 **Dr. Flug shrugs again, and speaks in an almost condescending tone.**

"Ever the optimist I see. May we end the session now, Dr. Red? It's lunchtime for me too after this and I am absolutely _ravenous._ Your faith in others may even be rubbing off on me, I'm hopeful someone may finally have learned how to make a decent salad."

 **Dr. Red calls in the guards, who escort Dr. Flug out of the room with no incident.**  
 **Dr. Red makes her closing statements.**

"Patient Interview of Dr. Flug Slys number Six end report, attending physician Dr. Cassidy Red. Subjects 'emptiness' is still an enigma. If it _was_ caused by some sort of chemical imbalance, it would've shown up in our preliminary examinations. I've gone over them multiple times myself and have asked Dr. Tsurugi to review them as well. Subject has begun to act differently from our initial capture, he is much less timid and admittedly...a little unsettling. Perhaps I'm just so accustomed to the type of behavior he displays while in Black Hat's presence..."

 **Dr. Red bites her lip.**

"It's like he's another person altogether. I'm hesitant to say this but, we may not have prepared for this properly. We were expecting an intelligent but weak willed man, and instead...got the head scientist of the Black Hat Organization. We should've known, it was no chance occurrence that he crashed on Hat Island. Right into Black Hat Manor. Unfortunately, this does give some plausibility to Dr. Winters' theory of **[REDACTED].** Subject will most likely begin **[REDACTED]** within the week. Dr. Tsurugi hopes the Director will allow for more scans to be done, to get a more accurate frame of reference once the subject begins treatment if nothing else.  
"Subject admits to previous attempts at resolving the issue with medication, specifically antidepressants, though it was unclear if they were prescription. For something this seemingly severe, over the counter drugs just might not have been enough. And **[REDACTED]** well...we don't know for sure.  
"One thing that doesn't sit right with me; subject compared his 'emptiness' to extreme hunger and thirst, and asked to end the session as lunch was soon and he was 'ravenous'. I can't help but consider it some kind of threat."


End file.
